Door opening and closing device.



No. 837,164. PATENTBD Nov. 27, 190s. W. WIGHAM..

DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION I ILBD AUG.15,19oe.

wAsmNcroN. D. f:4

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE WILLIAM VIGHAM, OF MURPHYSBORO, ILLINOIS.

DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING DEVICE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 1906.

Application filed August l5, 1906. `Serial No. 330,712.

To a/L whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WIGHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Murphysboro, in the county of Jackson and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Door Opening and Closing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to door opening and closing devices particularly adapted for doors for automatically opening and closing entrances through which are adapted to pass loaded or unloaded cars traveling upon tracks.

The invention further aims to provide a door opening and closing device which shall be simple in its construction and arrangement, automatic in its action, strong, durable, efiicient in its use, readily set up, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention; but it is to be understood that changes, variations, and modifications can be resorted to which come within the scope ofthe claims hereunto appended.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout both views, and in which- Figure 1 is a sectional plan showing the adaptation of the invention in connection with a door, the latter being closed 5 and Fig. 2 is a view with the door partly open.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, 1 denotes the track upon which travels the car 2, the wheels 3 of which are adapted to engage and operate the dooropening mechanism, the latter being superposed above the track-rails in the path of the wheels 3 of the car and adapted to be shifted from over the track-rails to permit of the passage of the car 2 and to furthermore cause the opening of the door 4.

The door 4 is hinged to the door-frame 5,

.the latter extending at an angle of forty-five degrees with respect to the track-rails. To the front face of the door 4, at the bottom thereof and approximately centrally, is secured an Leshaped bracket 6, lto which is pivotally connected, as at 7, a link 8, the latter being pivotally connected, as at 9, to one end of a hook-shaped door o ening and closing spring member 10. Tliat end of the member 10 to which the link 8 is connected is bent, as at 11, so that when the member 10 is in its normal position the said bent end 11 will extend transversely of the track 1. The other end of the member 10 is pivotally connected to a support 14 at one side of the track, as at 15. A portion of the member 10 also extends diagonally of the track 1, and it has a portion thereof further extending in substantial parallelism with respect to the track, and the said portion which extends parallel with respect to the track bears against a roller 12, 'which is supported by the bracket 18, positioned at one side of the track.

Secured to the other face of the door is a holding member 16 of the same construction as the member 10, and said member 16 is adapted to be engaged by the car-wheels, so as to hold the door open until the car is clear of the door aswell as clear of said member 16. The latter has one end connected to the door 4 by a clevis 17 and bolt 18 and has its other end free. The member 16 travels against a guide-roller 19 and through a guide 20, the latter being arranged at one side of the track. The guide 20 supports the roller 19. The member 16 extends diagonally and transversely of the track 1 when in normal position; but when the door is opened by the engagement of the Wheels 3 of the car with the member 10 and after the car has passed clear of the member 10 the wheels of the car engage the member 16 and hold the door open until the car is clear of the door as well as clear of the member 16.

Owing toV the manner of setting up the member 10-that is to say, with one end pivoted to the door 4 through the connections hereinbefore pointed out and its other end. pivoted to a support 15-the member 10 acts as a returning-spring for closing the door after the car has passed free of the member 16. It is true that during the movement of the car through the door-frame and when it bears against the member 16 the member 10 will tend to close the door; but it is evident that the door cannot be closed until the car is clear of the member 16. During the movement of pulling the door 4 open the member 16 will be carried with the door. This action can take place owing to the fact that one end of the member 16 is free. Consequently the IOO IIO

member 16 Will lie in the path of the carthen cause the closing of the door, the door, jamming close, and then the members 10 andY 16 Will assume the positions shown in Fig. 1, During the operation of opening the door the members 10 and 16 Will assume the position shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A door opening and closing device, comprising the combination with the door extending over the track, of a pair of shiftable members connected With the door and adapted When shifted to open the door, said members arranged over the track and in the path of the car and adapted to be engaged and shifted during the travel of the car, one of said members opening the door When engaged by the car and the other of said members holding the door open When engaged by the car, one of said members having a free end and the other of said members having a pivoted end, the member having a pivoted end adapted to automatically close the door when the car passes clear of the other of said members.

2. A door opening and closing device, comprising the combination With the door extending at an angle With respect to a track,

of a pair of hook-shaped members extending diagonally of the track and having one end thereof bent to extend transversely of the track, and means for connecting the transversely-extending ends of the members to the door, said diagonally-extending portions of said members being adapted to be engaged by a car, causing thereby the shifting of said members and the opening of the door, one of said members having a free end and the other of said members having a pivoted end, the member having the pivoted end adapted to automatically close the door When the car` isclear of the other of said members.

3. A door opening and closing device, comprising the combination with the door extending over the track, of a pair of shiftable members connected With the door and adapted When shifted to open the door, said members arranged over thetrack and in the path of the car and adapted to be engaged and shifted during the travel of the car, one of said members opening the door when engaged by the car and the other of said members holding the door open When engaged by the car, one of said members having a free end and the other of said members having a pivoted end, the member having a pivoted end adapted to automatically close the door When the car passes clear of the other of said members, and guiding means arranged at one side ofthe track for one of the said members.

4. A door opening and closing device comprising the combination With the door extending at an angle With respect to a track, of a pair of hook-shaped members extending diagonally of the track and having one end thereof bent to extend transversely of the track, means for connecting the transverselyextending ends of the members to the door, said diagonally-extending portions of said members being adapted to be engaged by a car, causing the shifting of said members and the opening of the door, and guiding means arranged at one side of the track for one of the said members. Y

5. A door-opening and closing device, comprising the combination with the door extending at an angle with respect to a track, of a pair of hook-shaped members extending diagonally of the track and having one end thereof bent to extend transversely of the track, means for connecting the transverselyextending ends of the members to the door, said diagonally-extending portions of said members being adapted to be engaged by a car, causing the shifting of said members and the opening of the door, one of the members having a free end and the other of said members having a pivoted end, the member having the pivoted end adapted to automatically close the door .When the car is clear of the other of said members, and guiding means arranged at one side of the track for one of the said members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM WIGHAM.

Witnesses: f DAVID CHRISTIE,

RALPH COLLINS, Sr.

IOO 

